How others will see it. The audience will be divided into three camps. Some will identify the film as Hollywood wartime propaganda, and will find it interesting, if not especially rewarding. Another group will identify totally with the relentlessly proud and brave villagers, and will enjoy the movie without caring one whit that it is propaganda. The third group will change channels immediately when they learn that the movie looks old and is filmed in black and white.
How I felt about it. As you suspect, I fall into the first group. Why did the Nazis lose World War II? Was it because of the harsh Russian winters? The productivity of U.S. factories? The efforts of the British Royal Air Force and Navy? Would you believe... Norwegian rebels?
No, I don't believe it either. Nazis occupied several countries during the war. Poland, Norway, Sweden, France, and others. In each country, there were resistance movements. They never seriously threatened the Nazi occupiers, who held their ground until D-day in 1944.
It is easy to believe that the Nazis were cruel and murderous. I don't doubt the depiction for a moment. The problem is the portrayal of the Norwegians. The village has a 'Quisling', who accommodates the occupiers. He's a pompous factory owner. Two other Quislings are such because they are cowards, but predictably, both prove heroic at the end.
All the other villagers fall into the 'proud and brave' category. Even the doctor and minister join them. Eventually, the villagers become one body and mind, as if they have been body-snatched by Hollywood propagandists, which of course they have.
The surprise is that Flynn's role is so small. He's technically the star, but his character is not flamboyant, and he recedes into the sea of ensemble supporting actors, which include his ravishing (but proud and brave) lover (Sheridan) and her initially fence-sitting father (Huston), who eventually succumbs to the 'Give me liberty, or give me death' theme of the movie.
Let me be seditious for a moment. Suppose that the villagers did not take up arms against the Nazis. In another three years, the Nazis would be gone, possibly without the loss of life of any villagers. Would that have been so bad?
In fact, that's the way it was. Throughout the countries occupied by the Nazis, the residents might have committed sabatoge here and there, but they generally put up with the better armed and organized Nazis, folk legends of resistance notwithstanding. That was the way it was. They even stood by and watched as Jews, Gypsies, and others were herded off to death camps. It was not a Hollywood fantasy.